The Hope for Forgiveness
by SeanyMac23
Summary: Five years ago the Chosen Children had a major falling out and have not spoken since. Now with both the digital world and the real world under threat from an evil like none they have ever faced before the Chosen must find their way back to each other and stop this new evil before it's too late for both worlds.
1. Hope Returns

A/N: This is the first chapter of a multi-chapter story (my first multi-chapter story). It will be mostly from Takeru's POV, with some others thrown in as I see fit. Most likely there will be no ships or romance as this is more about friendship and adventure. This fic has two primary inspirations: the brilliant story Adventure 03 by Allynca and the song "21 Guns" by Green Day. You really should read Allynca's story because it is better than anything I could hope to write. This story will however follow a much different path than Allynca's story, which just sorta served as inspiration for a jumping off point. The lyrics to the song "21 Guns" helped me really develop the themes I wanted to explore in this story so listening to it might put you in the right frame of mind to read it. Please read and review, but most importantly enjoy!

Disclaimer: Do not own Digimon. Do not own any music or lyrics to Green Day songs.

* * *

_Do you know what's worth fighting for?_

_When it's not worth dying for?_

_Does it take your breath away and you feel yourself suffocating?_

_"21 Guns" -Green Day_

Takeru looked at the calendar and let out a sad sigh as he went about preparing his clothes for basketball practice. He could not believe that it had been five years already. It was amazing to him how fast time had marched on since that fateful day: August 1st, 2003. He hated that day more than any single thing he had in his entire life. He was practically fond of the powers of darkness compared to it. He tried not to think about that day as much as he possibly could, but it was always in vain. The memories of that day always come flooding back to him especially when he happened upon another one of the Chosen Children in the course of his daily life. His mind often recalled the harsh words exchanged between the closest of friends, and the tears shed due to the utter bleakness of what was happening, each of these things were like knives being thrust into his heart. He still could not understand how they could have so badly lost their way. They were always supposed to stay together, no matter what. They learned that lesson the hard way several times during their adventures. They were strongest when they were a unified front instead of disparate individuals. There was a reason they _all_ had been chosen after all. They were meant to serve a higher purpose, but apparently that had been forgotten on that fateful day. August 1st, 2003 was the last day of the Chosen Children as a group, it was the day of the schism.

For years since that day Takeru had desperately tried to reunite the group, to mend the fences that been wrecked that day, but it was of no avail. He did not understand what was causing these people who possessed such a strong bond and love for each other for so long to suddenly throw all that away. He did not understand what it was that caused them to spurn all his attempts to mend the nearly fatal wounds that had been opened in these deeply meaningful relationships. Simply put Takeru did not understand any of it. How was he the only one who could see and understand their bond should not be wrecked over stupid differences in opinion? Yes, it had been sad that they had not seen their partners since the victory over MaloMyotismon, but that was hardly a reason to split up and say such terrible hurtful things to each other. While they technically did not have a reason to be a group anymore, given that both worlds were at peace, in Takeru's mind that was hardly a reason to lose each other. Their world saving adventures had only been the catalyst for their friendship, not the reason for it. Their relationships went much deeper than that. They were far too important to give up on and abandon each other over differences of opinion in what happened to their partners and if they would ever get to see them again. It was so trivial to him. He wished that the others would listen to reason, instead of letting their pride blind them to the fact that they were only hurting each other and themselves by keeping this up.

If he were not so bothered and disturbed by his friends behavior towards each other he might have laughed at the irony of the situation. All of the enemies that had come up against the Chosen Children had never been been able to truly break up the group despite their best efforts, and yet the Chosen Children managed to accomplish that on their own. Their in-fighting and bitterness over being separated from their partners due to circumstances outside their control proved a far greater foe than any digimon had faced, and ultimately was one they failed to defeat. This deeply saddened him, but he knew that he was the last vestige of the Chosen Children. The only one who still believed that they should get back together whether or not the world depended on it. He knew that somewhere deep down in their hearts, buried beneath the pain and bitterness that had built up over the years that the rest of the chosen knew that it was true as well. It was only a matter of opening their eyes to the truth so they would longer harden their hearts. However, this was much easier said than done. He had learned this the hard way, through multiple slammed doors and abrupt hang ups, that the other Chosen were not too keen on the prospect of reuniting and burying the hatchet. They seemingly much preferred to hold on to the bitterness that had long ago consumed them and hidden their true feelings from themselves.

Takeru knew that if he could just get through to one of the other eleven Chosen that he would then be able to topple the rest like dominoes, but thus far all his attempts at doing this were an exercise in futility. He knew that some of them would be harder to persuade than others, but he never thought that the two Chosen he held closest to his heart would follow the others in denying him the chance to help heal them and open their eyes to how badly they were hurting themselves. The rejections by Yamato and Hikari had wounded him the most deeply. He had convinced himself that if anyone would listen to his message it would be those two, his best friend and his brother, he understood them better than anyone in the world and had always depended on them for strength through their adventures. So it was with these thoughts in mind that head approached them full of hope and thinking that he had a very strong chance at starting the reunification with the two of them, and when their rejection came it was as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water directly on his heart. He felt so cold and lonely after those rejections, but something in his mind would not let him wallow in despair despite how dire the situation had become. He knew that his crest was more than just a tool to help Patamon digivolve to his higher levels. No, the crest meant that he was supposed to carry the burden of hope for the group. Just when everything seemed like it was at it's worst, when the darkness threatened to take away any notion that things would end up ok, it was his responsibility to make sure they did not lose hope and sink into despair. Therefore he soldiered on despite the rejections in the knowledge that if he did not do this then no would.

In the times between reflecting on the schism that had divided the Chosen and attempting to reunite the group, Takeru lived a pretty average life. When his responsibilities with the digital world had ended Takeru became more heavily involved in basketball, not as a life's passion, but rather he viewed it as an acceptable outlet to give himself a sense of team and camaraderie that he was sorely lacking since the breakup of the Chosen Children. Entering his senior year of high school he was a slightly above average student across the board, except when it came to literature where he was top of his class. For Takeru literature seemed like a natural refuge from the despair that always lurked on the margins of his mind. He felt as though he could immerse himself into these grand worlds constructed by brilliant writers and just escape for hours at a time. He had always found this practice cathartic as when he exited these literary worlds he felt renewed and armed with new ideas and perspectives on how he could find a way to bridge the gulf that had grown between the chosen. In the last year or so he had actually taken to writing his own works, whether they be poetry, short stories, or long pieces of fiction and he felt that this was also an effective coping mechanism. When despair over the lost friendships with the Chosen threatened to overwhelm him as he found that he could pour out his feelings on to the page and unburden himself. He in fact found that this was essential for him because he no longer had anyone he could talk to about these serious things, now that the group had split apart.

He would often see his fellow Chosen in school and would feel the harsh pain in his heart when they would merely walk past him as if he were a stranger, and not a person they shared a bond with that only a very select few could ever begin to understand. He saw Hikari the most out of all the Chosen Children as they were in many of the same classes in school, but she like the rest did not speak to him or any of the other Chosen. It always pained to Takeru to be this way with her after they had had such a close relationship for so many years. They had a natural amicability towards each other as they just got along so easily it never was much of an effort to be around her or spend time with her. He thought that he maybe had romantic feelings towards her at one point before the schism, but he wasn't necessarily sure and knew that it did not matter anymore. All that he cared about was restoring things to the way they were, bringing the group back together. Romantic feelings or not he just missed his closest friend and confidant being in his life and he wanted more than anything to repair the seemingly indestructible friendship that had indeed been destroyed five years ago today.

In school and around town he would often hear girls chattering about the newest developments with The Teenage Wolves, his brother Yamato's band, which of course would lead to the painful reminder that he was estranged from his older brother who he had grown up idolizing. Of course he and Yamato had been estranged following their parent's divorce, but they still made every effort to see each other when they could so things were alright. Now, however, they were estranged by choice, which hurt much worse than any circumstantial separation ever could. He missed looking to his brother for cool headed wisdom when he was in times of crisis. He missed having that watchful older brother who always could understand exactly what was going on in his life and sought fiercely to protect him from the evils of the world. More than anything though he just missed having a brother. Ever since their parents divorce every minute he was able to spend with Yamato was precious to him beyond anything he owned, as just being around his brother made him feel content, happy, and safe. Being around Yamato just felt right to Takeru and now that they hadn't spoken in five years everything just felt so wrong. For all intents and purposes Takeru was now an only child and that just did not sit well with him. He needed his brother in his life and he suspected that Yamato somewhere deep in the recesses of his heart felt exactly the same way as him. The only issue was how to access that part of his heart and how to dispel the bitterness that clouded his mind. Yamato being the Child of Friendship should have been able to understand how wrong this schism amongst the Chosen Children was and how incredibly dumb and potentially dangerous to all of their well beings it was. Before the Chosen Children had come together they had all been incomplete in one way or another, but together they helped to make everyone in the group complete individuals helping to complement each other's strengths and compensate for their weaknesses. In Takeru's opinion Yamato should have known better and should have fought by his side in the struggle to keep the group together, but alas just like the rest of them Yamato was too proud and bitter to listen to reason and went his own way in life.

* * *

A beep from his D3 indicating that it was now 11 A.M. broke Takeru out of his musings, as he realized he was running late for basketball practice. He hurriedly finished packing his change of clothes and rushed out the door to the Takaishi apartment in order to try to cover the two mile distance between his home and the school in an impossibly short fifteen minutes that would ensure him of being on time for practice. Takeru took punctuality for basketball very seriously as he was due to officially be the captain of the team once the season started in the late fall so he did not want to set a bad precedent for his teammates by showing up late to practices, even if they were optional summer practices. Coach Tateyama was a very strict and demanding coach who expected much of his players, especially the captain as he saw that the captain set the tone for the whole team. Takeru definitely did not want to be on the man's bad side going into his senior year for he knew that Coach Tateyama could make his life a living hell, or at least slightly worse than it already was. Takeru relished any sort of activity with basketball team nowadays as they were the closest thing he had to friends in the aftermath of the schism amongst the chosen children. He knew that he desperately craved and needed this type of team activity to help supplement the dearth of time he got to spend with his fellow chosen given that none of them were speaking to him or each other. It was part of his system for keeping sane and free of despair during these very dark times for him.

With these thoughts in mind he started his two mile sprint to Odaiba High School with a smile on his face, which was a rarity since the schism, but he could not help but feel happy to be heading to the first basketball practice of the preseason. At least there he could pretend that things were back to normal again and that the fight between the chosen had never happened. It was a form of denial, yes, but sometimes that was exactly what the heart needed to keep from the full brunt of the pain that he was experiencing, at least in Takeru's opinion that was true, he was not sure that many others would agree with his opinion though. As he ran Takeru began to regret not paying more attention to the time while he was lost in thought in the middle of his packing. This was a particularly hot and muggy August day in Odaiba and it was not making the run pleasant at all. He was already feeling his clothes stick to his sweaty body and his mop of blonde hair started to fall into his eyes, all this before he was to participate in an intense basketball practice for two hours, he wondered if his body would have any water left after the practice or if he would just shrivel up like a raisin in the sun. Takeru had to question whether or not he was a masochist for putting himself through this intense bodily torture all to be only slightly late to an _optional_ summer practice. At least over the last five years he had stopped wearing his hats because wearing one in this situation might have caused his body to completely melt from the heat, and that was hardly an appealing option to him.

Once the campus of Odaiba High came into view Takeru reached into his shorts pocket to check the time on his D3, which he still carried around religiously despite not truly having a reason to other than as a memento of his past adventures, and saw that it was 11:20 already, he was five minutes late, and he still had a half mile to go. Cursing under his breath Takeru gave a grunt as he picked up the pace for one last full long sprint to get to the school before he was any later for practice knowing full well that Coach Tateyama was going to make him run suicides for every minute he was late, so he was truly motivated to minimize that. Takeru finally reached the school ten minutes late for practice dripping with sweat and gasping for breath, and proceeded to enter the gym and face whatever fate might befall him at practice, hoping that spontaneous combustion due to overheating was not a possibility.

* * *

Three hours later after a grueling practice complete with after practice suicides for being late to the practice without a legitimate excuse, Takeru emerged from the locker room in a new set of street clothes following his shower. He simultaneously felt exhausted and refreshed after the practice was over, but while to some it might be curious to him it was the status quo for this situation. He always found the grueling practices to be almost purifying in a way as they helped to keep his mind off the troubles that he was going through and he could reshape his entire world and existence to that court. He guessed it was that intense focus that led Coach Tateyama to name him captain at the end of his junior year, but he didn't like to dwell on things like that lest he let his ego grow too large. As he exited the school grounds Takeru's stomach began to growl and he started to mull over his options for food. Since his mother was busy working for the newspaper he was on his own for food, but that suited him just fine right now as he was not particularly in the mood for a wholesome home cooked meal after that practice. He decided that he would reward himself for that grueling practice with some good old greasy fast food and he knew there was a great burger place on his route home so he decided that he would stop there. Amidst his daydreaming of double bacon cheese burgers with large fries on the side, Takeru could be quite the glutton sometimes, he failed to notice the brown haired man rapidly approaching him. As the man finally reached Takeru he clapped a hand on the blonde boy's shoulder and greeted him as if were an old friend, which in a way he was.

"Hello Takeru! Long time no see! What's it been like six years? Wow time flies when you're not saving the world eh?"

Takeru nearly jumped out of his skin after feeling the hand clap his shoulder out of nowhere and let out a strangled yelp as the sudden familiar greeting from the brown haired man he did not immediately recognize. He tried to speak, but could only babble unintelligibly as his mind was reeling from the shock and oddness of the situation.

"What? Gatomon got your tongue? I thought you'd happier to see me! Though I guess since I generally am not a bearer of good news it'd be understandable why you're not terribly enthused, but still no words for your old buddy. I'm hurt."

As Takeru examined the brown haired man the identity of this "stranger" finally clicked into place, the cream colored robes, the spiky brown hair with the short ponytail in back, the piercing blue eyes, the humor that was out of place for the situation. Of course it was him!

"Gennai?!"

Gennai beamed at Takeru's recognition of him before answering him with his one of a kind Gennai brand humor.

"Last time I checked that was me! Though it has been quite some time since I last checked maybe I should look into that. No matter there's far more important things we need to talk about Takeru so why don't we get down to business. No time to waste really."

Gennai's face hardened and turned more serious as he finished this last statement, finally showing the haunted look in his normally serene blue eyes. Takeru, however, was still to stunned to pick up on this as he was still reeling from the fact that Gennai was in the real world, standing right in front of him talking to him. It had been so long since he had seen him, in fact that was the last time had seen Patamon. His mind was racing trying to sort through all the possibilities that could explain Gennai's presence in the real world. He could only assume that it was not a social call, as that did not necessarily seem like Gennai's style. Besides if we were to visit anyone for social purposes it would obviously be Koushirou since they could truly go toe to toe in conversation. Takeru started to formulate a million questions for Gennai in his head and decided that now would be an opportune time to speak up again.

"B-but how? Why? What's going on?"

Gennai let out a long exasperated sigh as he waited for Takeru to fully recover from his shock and finish babbling before he could continue. After a few more minutes of half asked questions and other incoherent babbling from Takeru, Gennai put up a hand to quiet him so that he could deliver his vital message before time ran out.

"Please listen very carefully to what I have to say to you Child of Hope, it is crucial information and I only have the time to tell you once. The fate of two worlds depends on you and the rest of the Chosen Children doing exactly as I say. I am aware of the...shall we say issues that have arisen amongst you and the rest of the Chosen over the past few years, but now it is imperative that the group reunite and put aside their differences in order to confront this new threat that is unlike any that you have ever faced before. I will explain more once you have accomplished your task of reuniting the group, which is the imperative first step in this process."

Takeru started to feel insulted and indignant that Gennai could have stayed away for the last 5 years while their group had completely dissolved all the while knowing about it and doing nothing to step in. Furthermore, he was telling Takeru, the one who had been trying to get the group back together ever since that fateful day five years ago, that it was now imperative that they come back together. In Takeru's opinion Gennai was either highly arrogant or incredibly ignorant, possibly both. No matter what the case was though Takeru of all people did not need to be told that it was imperative for the twelve Chosen Children to reunite and repair those bridges that had been burned so long ago, he had know that from the get go, yet here he was being lectured on the importance of their reunification. He was going to give Gennai a piece of his mind whether he liked it or not.

"I understand that you are annoyed with me for having this information and not doing anything about it. However, after consulting with the sovereign we felt it would be best if we stayed out of the matter completely as it was something that while not ideal needed to be allowed to run its course."

Takeru recoiled at this statement losing all the venom and invective that he was about to spew at Gennai, as the man had seemingly read his mind and preemptively responded to what he was about to say. Gennai cleared his throat to get Takeru's attention once again before continuing on with his debriefing.

"As I previously stated once you reunite the Chosen Children you are all to go to the digital world immediately and meet me at my house, then and only then will I be able to explain the new threat to the digital world and yours that you and your fellow chosen will be dealing with. One at my house you will also be reunited with your partners who, it's safe to say, are eagerly anticipating your arrival so it would be in your best interest not to keep them waiting any longer. To answer your question about travel to the digital world, that I know you are about to ask, the gates to the digital world have been reopened and your digivices and D3s have been reactivated so you can travel as you normally would. Just beware though, once you arrive in the digital world you will find yourself unable to leave until your task has been completed, so be prepared for a long stay. My allotted time here in the real world is just about up and I need to return to the digital world. However, before I do I have been authorized by the Sovereigns to leave you with a parting gift that we all agree could prove instrumental in your efforts to reunify the Chosen Children. Lastly, before you ask the others must earn back what is theirs, while you have proven yourself worthy through this tumultuous period to take back that which is yours. Farewell for now Takeru, I will see you soon in the digital world."

As he finished speaking Gennai produced a small black box from within his robes and gently handed it to Takeru before fading out of existence. Takeru stared blankly at the spot where Gennai had just been his mouth slightly agape in astonishment, while his mind raced to process all the information that he had just been given. "_What kind of threat could be great enough that Gennai had to come to the real world in person to alert me?"_ Takeru shuddered at this thought fearing the worst for the fate of the digital world and all the friends they had made there over the years, hoping that no harm had befallen them. He then started to focus on Gennai's cryptic departing message as well as the mysterious gift he had given him. "_What does he mean that I am worthy? What exactly am I taking back? I still have my D3 and he already said that Patamon will be meeting me in the digital world so it can't be him. What did he mean about the others needed to earn what is theirs? To the best of my knowledge everyone still has their digivices and D3s and he said they were also meeting their partners in the digital world. What kind of possession would they need to earn, that I'm already worthy of? None of this makes any sense."_ Frustrated with his musings not providing any more clarity to Gennai's cryptic words Takeru kicked a random pebble as hard as he could and let a loud frustrated sigh. "_Maybe this gift he gave me will have the answers. He did seem to think it was pretty important and plus if it helps me bring my friends back together it has to be something pretty good."_ Quickly finding a nearby public bench to sit down on Takeru cautiously opened the black box. His eyes suddenly widened and he let out a soft gasp as he instantly recognized what was on the contents of the box. Just then the meaning behind Gennai's final cryptic statements became plain as day and Takeru knew exactly what he was talking about when he was talking about the others having to earn back what was theirs. The sight of this object just filled him with such warmth and joy that he had not felt for years. He could not believe that it was back. He felt as if a missing piece of his soul was restored as he stared at the golden object embedded in the box. For the first time in years he felt whole again and he now knew that he could take on the nigh impossible task of reuniting the digidestined. When he had this he felt as though anything was possible. The Crest of Hope had returned and he now knew everything would be ok again.

* * *

Please review, flame, anything all feedback is appreciated as it helps me to become a better writer. The story will not be this much of a downer the whole time, it's a cathartic story at the end of the day so there needs to be some pain on the front end in order to help boost the value of future triumphs. I'm not sure how often I'll update this as just this one chapter was very difficult to write, but it will be updated.


	2. Wisdom to Move Forward

A/N: So this was a very frustrating chapter to write as I tried to incorporate helpful criticisms I received on my first chapter into this one and may have drawn away focus from the content itself. I also am unsure about the effectiveness of the flashback scene I put in as a source of exposition. Also, I kind of had to figure out where I wanted to go with the story, which I _think_ I have a handle on. Anywho please read and review I really appreciate any criticism I can get because it only serves to make me improve.

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or the quoted lyrics below.

* * *

_Does the pain weigh out the pride?_  
_And you look for a place to hide?_  
_Did someone break your heart inside?_  
_You're in ruins_

_"21 Guns" -Green Day_

Everything suddenly seemed so clear. It was as if a blindfold had been removed from his eyes and he could plainly see what he needed to do. How could he not see all this before? Why was it so obvious now, when before it seemed so perplexing and impossible? Takeru smiled as the realization came to him, as to why he suddenly felt like he knew exactly what to do.

"I have hope again."

Takeru spoke softly since he was the only intended audience for these words, but he needed to say them out loud for them to have the same feel. It was not that he had ever lost hope, not losing hope was the entire reason he was given his crest back, but rather his crest somehow made his hope feel more real and complete. He couldn't necessarily put his finger on it, but he just knew that he felt right again, after feeling so adrift for the last five years.

As he stared at his crest Takeru's thoughts started to shift back to the task at hand. He knew that the danger had to be extremely pressing for the crests to have come back into existence and to necessitate the intervention of all twelve Chosen Children. He knew that he could not delay in reuniting the Chosen Children, so he needed to have a sound plan in mind for confronting each one of them and getting them to come back together.

Takeru knew that the whoever he decided on seeking out first would be crucial to his efforts, as how could he convince eleven disparate people to come together if he couldn't even convince one of them. Furthermore, this person would be key in lending a fresh perspective on how to approach the other chosen.

Taking all these factors into consideration Takeru decided that it would be best if he avoided the more impulsive members of the group who might let their negative emotions and pride force them from ignoring all reason until confronted by multiple parties. This effectively ruled out Daisuke, Taichi, Yolei, and Mimi from consideration given that they allowed their heart to overrule their head too often to make them likely to go along with just him.

Thinking some more Takeru realized that some of the group were far too introverted and often defeatist to be of much help in his task at this stage. There was also the fact that they would be difficult to bring out of the depths of their own misery and despair. No these were projects best left to multiple people taking on. With a resigned sigh he crossed Sora, Jyou, and Ken off his mental list as they would be too afraid to make that leap towards forgiveness on their own, so they would need help from others.

Usually there would be two particular Chosen that he would immediately go to in any situation that he need help in, but given the circumstances at the present time he wasn't sure he himself could face Yamato or Hikari just yet. He just needed time to overcome the wounds that their previous denials of his attempts at reconciliation had given him. He knew that it would be ok in time, his crest practically assured him of it in a strange way, but he truly needed every bit of that time.

This finally left Takeru with only two Chosen and they both seemed to him to be ideal options. They fit the bill as for exactly what he was looking for: pragmatism. He knew that these two were far too pragmatic and erudite to let past squabbles undermine a greater cause. In fact, they would both most likely join in with no reservations and would be extremely helpful in plotting a course forward from this point.

So now Takeru's decision was down to Koushiro and Iori, arguably the two most intelligent of the group. He half-heartedly wished he had one of them to look to for advice on making this decision as their input had always been most crucial and often life saving in times of crisis. They both had their merits and their faults, many of which were shared between the two, making this difficult decision migraine inducing.

Takeru ultimately decided between the two Chosen using illogical gut reasoning that both of them would frown upon if they knew he had used it, but he pushed that thought to the side as he considered his decision. He had chosen to go to Iori first purely because he felt closer to him, having been DNA-Digivolution partners during their last adventure. Also, he chose Iori due to the that he would face less questions from Iori, as opposed to the full on barrage of questions Koushiro would ultimately hit him with.

With his decision firmly made Takeru took off toward his apartment building where Iori also happened to live. He was actually quite pleased with his decision as he knew that Iori would be the perfect person to start with given his pragmatism he would not really question the veracity of what he was saying and would fully understand the gravity of the situation.

"_For his age Iori always did have wisdom beyond his years. No doubt he'll be able to help me get to the others as well."_

Keeping this thought in mind Takeru took a deep breath as he finally arrived at the door to the Hida residence. Takeru prepared to knock knowing full well that the end result of this conversation had the fate of two worlds riding on it.

"_No pressure."_

* * *

Letting out an exasperated sigh Iori Hida put down the novel he had in his hand and got up from his armchair and walked to the bathroom to splash some water on his face. He had been trying to read this novel all afternoon, but had been unable to focus for more than a sentence at a time. Ever since catching sight of the calendar in his family's kitchen his mind had been clouded by thoughts of that fateful day five years ago.

Iori had generally been successful in his efforts not to think about the events that day that had lead to his group of friends splitting apart, but every so often, usually when Takeru showed up to bug him to reconcile with the others and himself, the memories of that day would come rushing back. With these memories the painful emotions of that day would bubble to the surface again.

Iori was resolute in his stance that his reasons for splitting with the others were more than justifiable. This was about much more than the loss of access to their partners and the digital world. No, there were deep personal issues he had with many members of the group and their treatment of him and each other.

As he walked this line of thought the memories of his experiences that day began to replay in his mind…

* * *

*5 years ago*

_It was a beautiful bright sunny day in Odaiba, which was perfect for the planned gathering of the Japanese Chosen Children for their anniversary celebration. The Chosen Children had gone to great lengths to ready __Shiokaze park for their big day. They had blankets set up, food was being brought by the various members of the team, and there were many activities planned._

_This atmosphere that was supposed to be joyous and festive was all of a sudden pierced by yelling, screaming, arguing, and crying. The Chosen Children over the last few months had begun to experience some friction amongst the Chosen due various personal issues that had been brewing since their adventures together. However, due to the importance of their mission to save two worlds these issues had been swept aside for the most part in order to serve the greater good._

_Now that their mission had been completed and both the digital and human world had been saved there was no longer a need to suppress these resentments for the sake of their mission. The separation from their partners and the digital world only added fuel to the fire of the resentment and anger that was growing within the Chosen. Their anniversary gathering finally served as the ultimate powder keg that broke the dam holding back these resentments and brought them out into the open._

_Iori in particular was incensed with the members of his team over their lack of respect for him. He had been feeling this way ever since they had completely ignored his words of caution when they welcomed Ken Ichijouji to the group with open arms. They did not even make him prove himself to be reformed from his days as the Emperor. When Iori suggested it he was rebuked harshly and treated like an enemy or upset child._

_However, the most galling incident where he was not given respect by the others was after the defeat of MaloMyotismon he had tried to drag a dying Oikawa from the dream world into the digital world so that he could finally fulfill his dream of getting there. However, the others merely stared at him like he had two heads for attempting to fulfill a dying man's lifelong dream, as if it was such a strange thing to do._

_Now on the day of the original Chosen Children's anniversary of going to the Digital World the feeling he had been keeping inside could no longer be contained and he lashed out at his fellow Chosen._

"_I am so sick of the way all you treat me! Just because I'm the youngest does not mean I don't have anything to contribute or that my opinions don't matter! Hell, I think I contribute far more than Daisuke, despite his nominal position of leader, which none of us ever consented to. I honestly think that my life would be far better off without any of you in it! You are all holding me back with your lack of respect, and it's time for me to find people who will appreciate what I have to offer."_

_With that Iori turned on his heel and marched out of the park leaving behind a group of dumbfounded, incensed, upset Chosen Children who could only watch as he left._

* * *

***Present Day***

That day had been the last time he had spoken with any of them, except Takeru who still tried to pester him to reconcile after all this time, and he was slightly saddened by the thought even though he still firmly believed he was in the right.

Turning his thoughts to his DNA-Digivolution partner Iori couldn't help but shake his head in slight disappointment and pity for the Child of Hope.

"_Takeru you are so unbelievably misguided in your way of thinking. This schism runs so much deeper than you think. How can you allow yourself to be so blind to the truth that sometimes even the closest of friends often go their own separate ways in life. Just let it go and move on with your life, stop clinging to the past it will only bring you sadness."_

In truth, the only reason Iori even bothered to let Takeru try to badger him into reuniting with the other Chosen Children was because he felt sorry for him. He felt sorry that Takeru couldn't come to terms with the fact that the damage done was close to irreparable and nothing short of a miracle could even begin to fix what had been broken. Of this Iori was certain.

Content that he had finally parsed out his thoughts enough to return to his book Iori began to walk back to his bedroom from the bathroom, only to be interrupted by the sound of the doorbell ringing and his mother walking to answer it.

"I'll get it!"

Satisfied with the knowledge that his mother would deal with whatever visitor or salesperson happened to be at the door, Iori resumed walking back to his room, only to be stopped once again, this time by his mother.

"Iori! Your friend Takeru is here to see you! He says it's urgent!"

Iori frowned at this. Takeru stopping by randomly was nothing new, but the fact that he said it was "urgent" was most definitely something new. He generally stopped by under the pretenses of a social visit or to discuss some school work or project. However, claiming that this was something urgent struck Iori as odd as he racked his brain about what he could find as an urgent reason to come talk to Iori.

"_This had better not be about reconciling with the others again. We've been over that enough times already."_

Iori walked towards the foyer of his family's apartment to greet Takeru, but stopped short upon seeing him. There was something undeniably different about him today, but Iori could not quite place his finger on it.

Scrutinizing his blond friend further in an attempt to parse out what exactly different about him Iori took account of his superficial appearance. Takeru was dressed rather simply in a white t-shirt, that had some American sports brand on it that Iori did not recognize, with washed out jeans and casual sneakers, but that was pretty much in keeping with what had been his style for a few years now.

"_So he hasn't changed his look. Not that he would really do something like that. But what's different"_

Iori was broken out of his scrutinizing as his friend began to speak.

"It's great to see you again Iori, it's been too long really. When was the last time we talked? March? Yeah well I bet we'll be seeing a whole lot more of each other real soon."

Iori could only stare blankly in response. He was dumbfounded by this drastic change in Takeru's demeanor from the last time he had seen him. As far as Iori could remember Takeru had been rather desperate, frantic, and on the verge of despair as he practically begged Iori to reconsider his stance on reconciling with the other Chosen. However, today Takeru seemed almost like a completely different person, much more confident, happy, and just generally at peace.

"_It's like he was when we first met. What possibly could have happened for him to be like this again? Have the others decided to reconcile? No, I would have definitely heard about it, right? What is it then?"_

As if reading his thoughts Takeru immediately continued speaking despite the lack of response.

"So yeah there's some very important things we should talk about, but maybe we should do it in private. No offense to your mother of course, but this is really something that just the two of us should speak about."

As he finished speaking Takeru motioned towards the hallway leading to Iori's room.

"Shall we?"

Iori merely gave a curt nod at this as he was still too overwhelmed by this drastic change in his fellow Chosen to speak. He subsequently started to lead Takeru back to his room and once there closed the door behind him and turned to face the taller boy who was suddenly looking as if he was lost in deep thought. Not wanting to break him out of his contemplation Iori stayed quiet waiting for Takeru to break the silence.

Suddenly opening his deep blue eyes to meet Iori's gaze Takeru decided to speak up.

"We have to go back."

"_Go back? Where? No. We can't. We tried. But…"_

The very plain manner that Takeru had said this in, as if it was a fact, and not an opinion or a request, had caught Iori off guard. His mind was reeling trying to process what his former friend had just said to him and the implications thereof. Iori opened his mouth to try to respond, but found that words were failing him in this moment. So he just said the first thing that came to find.

"B-but we can't."

Iori was disgusted with himself for sounding so timid and unsure of himself, but in this moment he truly was unsure of himself and his whole reality. He quickly drew his eyes up from the floor where had been staring since he blurted out his terrible response to Takeru's statement and looked to gauge the blonde's reaction.

"_He's...grinning?"_

"You know after Gennai told me that I had to reunite our group, I can honestly say the reactions to my revelation was what I was looking forward to the most, and boy did you not disappoint Iori. Quickly to address your doubts before you keel over from the shock of what I just told you, yes I mean the digital world when I say 'We have to go back.' Gennai visited me in the flesh, I think? Not really sure if he can become flesh or not, but that's besides the point."

Takeru let out an awkward chuckle at his own flight of ideas before being prompted to return to the topic at hand by a cough from Iori.

"Anyway he told me the digital world was in grave danger and that we were all to return there to help ward it off. Our partners are supposedly waiting for us at his house, so the sooner you recover the sooner we can go about rounding up the others and eventually reunite with our partners. So sound good?"

Iori just stood there mouth agape still trying and failing to comprehend how one visit from a former friend could turn his entire life and sense of reality upside down. He had been convinced that they would never get to back to the digital world again and that they would never see their partners again. He had made his peace with it, but if Takeru was to be believed then…

"_Armadillomon...I've missed him so much. More than I've been willing to admit to myself. I thought he'd be just like my father someone who left me far too soon. I want this to be true so badly, but there's something in my heart that is afraid to believe. What is it? Why am I so afraid to believe?"_

Once again it seemed Takeru was reading his mind as a knowing smile formed on the taller boy's face. He studied Iori for a second, seeming to make certain that what he was correct in his assumption about what Iori was thinking.

"Gennai must have known that you and the others would have trouble believing. It's understandable the last five years have been so miserable that we've all hardened our hearts and become deeply cynical. That must have been why he gave me this. I should have known it was more than a token of good faith."

Now Iori was legitimately confused. He couldn't understand for the life of him what Takeru was talking about. What could Gennai have given that would suddenly alleviate his doubts? He didn't see Patamon anywhere so he knew it wasn't that.

Suddenly Iori was broken out of his thoughts as he saw Takeru reaching under his shirt to pull something out. It was then that Iori first noticed a string around Takeru's neck that was not usually present. His mind boggled to figure out what could possibly be at the end of it, as Takeru pulled it out into full view.

What he saw made him gasp. Iori had never actually seen it in person, but rather had heard of it several times, and he was certain that what Takeru was currently holding was indeed the Crest of Hope. He easily recognized the symbol on it as matching the Digi-Egg of Hope that Takeru had owned during their adventure five years ago. He was awestruck seeing it for the first time, as it seemed to give off a powerful radiance unlike anything he had ever experienced.

It was then that his logical mind kicked into overdrive and he immediately found himelf questioning the sudden presence of this trinket.

"Impossible…weren't the crests destroyed by Apocalymon? And then didn't you give up the remaining power to restore the digital world? How is it back? Why is it back?"

Takeru suddenly seemed slightly perturbed at this line of questioning as he let out a frustrated sigh and rubbed his face with his hands.

"Haven't you been listening? I told you already the digital world is in danger and we have to go back. The crest is obviously back in existence because the digital world needs it to act as more than a barrier once again. Can't you understand how dire things must be if the crests are needed again? I came to you before any of the other Chosen because I thought you of all people would understand how serious this situation is and how now is the time to take action."

Iori was momentarily rendered speechless by what Takeru had said, as his words cut to the core. Takeru was relying on him to understand that some things rose above personal issues that were long in the past. Takeru was taking an extraordinary leap of faith coming to him first. Before Yamato, before Hikari, before Taichi, before Daisuke even.

"Why me?"

Takeru's frown suddenly disappeared and as his lips turned upwards in a slight smile. If he didn't know any better he might have guessed Takeru was slightly embarrassed at the fact that Iori had realized that he had come to him instead of his brother or best friend, and the implications behind this action.

"Because," Takeru drew a deep breath as he prepared to continue. "Out of all the Chosen you've always been the wisest. You have always been able to take emotion out of your decisions and just look at the facts. I need you to do just that now. I recognize that you had some issues with the others, but whatever they were they are in the past now and we need to focus on the future."

Takeru let his words sink in before finishing with a question, "Are you ready?"

Iori was forced into deep thought by this diatribe and concluding question from Takeru and was grateful that Takeru allowed him the courtesy to think in peace and quiet without being pressured. Takeru always seemed to understand him in that way, knowing when to keep quiet when he needed to think and also when to pry when he needed to open up instead of internalizing.

As Iori searched for the answer within himself, he suddenly realized that something felt different in his heart since Takeru had shown him the crest. It felt as if his heart was suddenly much lighter than it had been at any point in the last five years and he was having trouble holding on to his resentments towards his fellow Chosen Children. In truth he felt more like himself than he had in a long time.

"_This is how things should be. Why have I been hiding from it so long? How could I let the pain and anger blind to me what's truly important to me? How could I let this go on for so long?"_

As Iori's thoughts continued he began to become more and more upset as his guilt over his actions from the past few years threatened to overwhelm him. Finally, the emotional dam broke and he started crying bitterly out of disgust with himself for how he had acted towards those who had once been so important to him.

He just could not hold back these emotions anymore they were so po and even though they were painful he wanted to experience them because in a way they seemed so much more real than the anger and bitterness he had been hanging on to for the last five years.

"Forgive yourself and move on. Like I said earlier the past is in the past. It's time to look towards the future."

Iori, startled by these words and the sudden presence of Takeru's hand on his shoulder, jerked away from the contact and fell down. Once he regained his bearings on the floor he was shocked to hear laughter coming from Takeru as the older boy seemed to find the extremely emotionally complex situation Iori was currently in to be quite funny. However, his laughter proved to be infectious and Iori found himself joining in as he reveled in the opportunity to let his tensions fade away.

After a few minutes the two Chosen regained their composure and returned to Takeru's lingering question of whether or not Iori was ready to help in his quest to reunite the Chosen Children and save the digital world. As Iori prepared to answer he was filled with a pervasive sense of calm as he could suddenly see plain as day what his answer would be.

"Yes. I'm ready, but where do we go from here? How do we convince the others to come back? Do we even know what we're up against?"

Takeru was beaming at the answer Iori gave as well as the follow up questions.

"It's good to have you back Iori."

Frustrated with the non-answer Iori decided to press the issue.

"But who's next? We can't just improvise, you should know better than that, or at least I hope you do."

"Well, since time is of the essence why don't we stay local and go pay Miyako a visit, I mean she can't kill both of us right?"

Iori agreed with him and they set out for Miyako's apartment a couple floors up. On the way Iori couldn't help but smile at how quickly his life had turned around in the thirty minutes he spent with Takeru so far this afternoon. He felt as though the anger and sadness of the last five years was all a bad nightmare from which he had finally woken up. Now he was ready to move on and was excited for the opportunity to help his friends do the same.

* * *

Hopefully that wasn't too painful to read I'm just not super comfortable writing Iori's point of view so it'd be a pleasant surprise if it turns out ok. Please review it really does help me out!

In case anyone is really interested in this story enough to wonder about these sorts of things Hikari and Yamato won't be showing up for another few chapters, but when they do it will be a grand occasion.


	3. The Need for Compassion

So I'm not particularly happy with the way this chapter came out and it was very frustrating to write, but maybe I'm overly critical who knows. Hope you enjoy it and please leave a review of any kind, I do genuinely appreciate them and try to respond to all of them.

* * *

_And the tears come streaming down your face_

_When you lose something you can't replace_

_When you love someone, but it goes to waste_

_Could it be worse?_

"_Fix You" -Coldplay_

The elevator doors slowly creaked opened and any joyous feelings that Takeru was feeling over his successful reunion with Iori were quickly replaced with a crushing anxiety. His stomach turned and he gulped a he prepared to step out onto Miyako's floor.

He had chosen to go to Iori first because he had been confident that the younger Chosen would listen to reason and accept the evidence once it was presented to him. Iori was always reasonable like that. Takeru had learned through their adventure to be very grateful for this level headedness, as it proved to be a huge boon to their cause especially when it concerned their more impulsive friends.

Takeru stole a quick glance at Iori as they walked in silence down the hall. Iori was just staring straight ahead, seemingly thinking about something else. Iori had always been somewhat of a mystery to Takeru as he found the boy guarded his emotions very well and thus was very hard tp read. Even after they had become DNA-Digivolution partners he still never quite felt the connection with Iori that his other friends had raved about experiencing with their partners.

Reflecting on this it made it all the more surprising to him that Iori had broken down in front of him earlier that afternoon. He hadn't seen the younger Chosen exhibit that kind of emotion since that fateful day five years ago.

"_I guess these last few years have been as painful for him as they have for me," _Takeru mused to himself as he continued to take quick looks as his younger compatriot. Iori had always been one of the strongest individuals of the group and seeing him break down like that made Takeru wonder how the others would handle the reality he needed to confront them with.

'_Miyako was always a bit high-strung under the best of circumstances...God only knows what kind of state she'll be in now…'_ Takeru shuddered at this thought. Suddenly he found Iori staring at him with a curious expression on his face as he seemed to notice his sudden change in demeanor.

Iori continued to stare at him before saying, "You're nervous." It was a statement and not a question. Takeru knew that Iori was a particularly perceptive person and his shudder was hardly subtle, but still it unnerved him to have his insecurities stated out loud.

Exhaling he replied, "Yeah. I mean I guess I shouldn't, it's only Miyako, but still I just can't…" He trailed off grunting in frustration at the absurdity of the situation. Things were so much easier five years ago when they were still friends. Heck even when they were strangers on his first day going to school in Odaiba it was easy to get along with her. Why was it so awkward now?

Suddenly the explanation for his nervousness came unbidden to his mind, '_Because you have an agenda.'_ Curiously enough this thought also helped to soothe his jangling nerves a little, since it refocused him on his task. '_People are depending on me. I can't let them down.'_

As he shook himself out of his own thoughts, Takeru realized that they had finally arrived at the door to the Inoue apartment. Takeru decided now would be a good time to broach the topic of how to exactly approach Miyako with the news that they had to give her about the immediate need to return to the digital world and get the group back together.

He had always found that Iori had quite a way with Miyako when it came to pacifying her. The younger Chosen seemed to always know what to say in order to stop Miyako from killing Daisuke during their more heated arguments. This always struck Takeru as rather miraculous, as he could not fathom what to do in those situations often instead choosing to watch in amusement while offering joking observations to Hikari.

Grimacing at this last thought, he pushed it out of his mind and turned to Iori and asked, "So what's the plan?"

Takeru watched Iori expectantly as he tried to puzzle out a satisfactory response to this question that had just been posed. Finally, after a few seconds that had seemed like an eternity to Takeru, he finally got his answer as Iori spoke up in a calm voice laced with hints of stress, "I think the best thing to do is to lay it all out there from the start. Miyako, as you know, is fairly impatient, especially when she finds someone unpleasant as I'm sure is the case with the two of us at the moment."

As he listened a wry smile appeared on Takeru's face as he remembered how amusing an angry Miyako could be, especially when the anger was not directed at him. "So basically what you're saying is we need to tell her everything before she can kick us out or kill us right?" Takeru quipped as he started to gain confidence that between him and Iori they would be able to get through to Miyako. If anything they were the two Chosen that Miyako respected most. That gave them a fighting chance at the very least.

Deciding to get back on a more serious track before dealing with Miyako, Takeru decided to see if he Iori could provide any info on what Miyako had been doing in the last five years since they had split up, given that Takeru's only visit to her and resulted in him having obscenities screamed at him and a door slammed in his face. Shoving aside that unpleasant memory Takeru got Iori's attention again and asked, "Do know anything about what Miyako has been like the last five years? This way we won't be flying blind when we go to talk to her. No shocks y'know?"

Iori bowed his head and looked at the ground in shame as he answered saying, "Well, after we split I was just so angry and disgusted with the group that I didn't bother to pay attention to how anyone else was doing. Anytime I thought about any of you it just brought up all those old emotions that I didn't want to deal with, so I just did my best to forget about everyone."

Takeru felt his heart go out to Iori as he truly sympathized with him, even though he had never given up on reuniting the Chosen, he knew that Iori had been and still was struggling with emotions he didn't understand. Takeru knew that Iori had truly been through a dark time these last five years and given that the younger boy was arguably the most emotionally stable of the Chosen, he could only shudder to think what the others must be going through.

Acting quickly to make sure that Iori did not start down a path of self loathing Takeru put a hand on Iori's shoulder and crouched down to meet his eyes, as Iori's head was still bowed, "Iori you can't blame yourself for what's happened. I mean what happened was awful, but now is not the time for thinking about it. You've had five years to do that. You have a chance to fix your mistakes, focus on that instead of a stupid fight from five years ago."

Iori's only reply was to give Takeru a look that was a cross between startled and relieved. Takeru could tell Iori was startled by how blunt he had been with him, but at the same time was relieved by the knowledge that he had the chance to atone for his mistakes. Suddenly it dawned on Takeru how great a gift they had been given by fate.

"_This is such an amazing opportunity to fix everything that me messed up five years ago. This is what we all need."_

Takeru was broken out of his thoughts as he met Iori's eyes again as the younger boy motioned towards the door with his head, silently indicating that they should get on with the task at hand. Nodding in affirmation Takeru rose from his crouch and rapped his knuckles on the door, swallowing hard and saying a silent prayer that things would go as well as they did with Iori.

* * *

Letting out a frustrated groan a lavender haired girl collapsed face first on her bed, burying her face in her pillows hoping that sleep would come quickly to her. Miyako Inoue had just finished working a double-shift at Ai-Mart, her family's convenience store, and wanted nothing more than to sleep until she had to go to work again the next day.

On this particular day, however, Miyako was finding it extremely difficult to fall asleep despite her exhaustion. She knew what today was and all the awful memories it represented. It made an already tedious day unbearable. She had spent the better part of the last five years trying to do everything, but think about those memories and those people who had once been such an integral part of her life. They had been the most important people in her life, but they were all gone from her life.

She still remembered that day clearly, much to her chagrin. The memories of that fateful day always were extraordinarily painful for her to look back on, but as much as she tried to run from them she couldn't escape. Miyako understood that the Chosen had several issues with each other prior to that day, but what group of friends didn't? As she reflected on how the events unfolded five years ago she remembered that things started to truly get ugly after Iori had stormed off…

* * *

_The younger team of Chosen just stood there dumbfounded with their mouths agape. They were rooted in place due to the shock of what had just occurred. Iori had never blown up at them like that. He had always been so calm and levelheaded throughout their adventure no matter what the circumstance. His composure was unassailable, or so it seemed._

"_Um guys...what just happened?" Daisuke asked, breaking the silence by voicing the question that was on everyone in the group's minds._

"_Isn't it obvious? He obviously hates all of you for associating with me." Ken answered with a cold curt voice that no one had heard him use since his days as emperor. "It's probably best if I leave and you guys go get him back. It's for the best."_

_Miyako couldn't stand hearing this. She found nothing more infuriating than Iori's obsession with distrusting Ken due to his past sins. Miyako couldn't understand how a perceptive kid like Iori continued to be so blind to the fact that Ken had been manipulated by MaloMyotismon when he was at his most vulnerable. In her opinion Ken's subsequent obsession with fixing the damage he had caused in the digital world was reason enough to forgive him._

"_Stop it Ken! Just because that little jerk can't get off his high horse long enough to see how good of a person you are doesn't mean you should leave! If you do that he'll never learn how wonderful of a person you are! You have to let him see how great you are!" Miyako took a deep breath staring Ken in the eyes to make sure he knew how sincere her words were, before continuing in a much softer voice than before, "Please Ken just try for me, for all of us."_

_This plea did not seem to have the intended effect as Ken's expression suddenly changed from despairing to annoyance. He began t glare at Miyako before speaking up again in that same cold voice that he had used earlier, the same voice that always gave Miyako the chills, saying, "Try?! Try?! What do you think I've been doing Miyako?! All I've been doing for the last ten months is try! If you don't realize that he's never going to forgive me for what I've done then you're either ignorant or just plain dumb. So which one is it Miyako? Because based on the silence from the others they all seem to recognize that I'm right."_

_These words cut Miyako to the core. She had never expected to hear such venom from Ken who had shown himself to be the kindest person she had ever met. Someone who would never want to hurt a soul. But what he had just said went against all that. Her mind was reeling trying to process all the feelings that these words summoned up and she just couldn't find any words to respond. Instead she choked out a sob starting to break down from the hurt she just experienced._

_Suddenly as if on instinct, retaliating against something that had just caused her pain, Miyako slapped Ken across the face leaving a large red mark on his cheek. "Iori was right about you Ken! You never changed! I've been your biggest defender and this is how you treat me?! Screw you Ken!" With that Miyako stormed away from the group all the while crying and cursing Ken's name. She had never been more hurt or angry in her life. She knew that her time as a member of this group had ended._

* * *

Miyako was broken out of her thoughts by a persistent noise coming from somewhere outside her room. Sitting up and shaking off the cobwebs she recognized that this sound was actually coming from the front door to her family's apartment. Someone was knocking on the door, rather persistently. Waiting to hear if any of her siblings or parents were home Miyako just sat in bed and listened to the knocking.

Finally realizing that no one else was around to get the door and that she would have to do it herself Miyako jumped out of bed and headed for the door grumbling along the way. Once she reached the door she swung it up open rather firmly having decided to give whoever had been annoying her with their knocking a piece of her mind. However, once she laid her eyes upon the two boys who were standing at her doorstep the words died in her throat.

"W-what? No." Miyako choked out as her throat started to tighten from the oncoming emotional distress caused by these two boys presence. She couldn't take seeing them anymore, it was far too painful. She needed to get away from them now and with that in mind she went to slam the door in their faces so as to give them a clear message to leave.

This proved unsuccessful as Takeru managed to react quickly enough to jam his foot in the door to stop it from closing. Fixing Miyako with a deadly serious look with an underlying sense of extreme urgency in his eyes that she hadn't seen since Hikari had disappeared six years ago, he spoke up saying, "Miyako let us in. We need to talk right now. The digital world needs us."

The almost desperate look in his eyes told her instantly he wasn't lying, even though she knew he wasn't the type to lie. Looking at Iori now she saw a more interesting set of emotions in his expression as he looked rigidly determined, but also underneath that determination there seemed to be a sense of relief. '_Why does he seem relieved? Does it have something to do with him and Takeru being together?'_

Waiting a beat for either of the two boys to speak up Miyako quickly became frustrated as they remained silent. Deciding that she would have to take the initiative if anything were to happen anytime soon she broke the silence, "Well? What is it? You come barging up to my door out of nowhere rambling about the digital world and then you stop talking all of a sudden? What the hell is going on? Tell me right now!"

The two boys shuddered a bit at Miyako's sudden outburst, but she was undeterred and continued to glare at them until Iori let out a sigh, "Okay Miyako you have to promise to listen to what we have to say without interrupting. This is going to be a little hard to believe at first, but every word of it is true."

Miyako studied Iori's serious expression for a moment, considering saying something in reply before merely nodding for him to continue. Taking this cue Iori continued, "A few hours ago Gennai appeared here in the real world to tell Takeru that we are needed again in the digital world because there is some great threat there, that will potentially have ramifications for our world."

'_Gennai coming to the real world., but what could be so serious that he had to come here in person and not contact us through a computer? And why Takeru? Why not Koushiro? Koushiro's always the one bugging him so why not go to him? This is all so confusing"_

"I know you're probably thinking, why me and not Koushiro or Taichi or someone else like that right?"

Miyako's only response was to stare stupidly back at Takeru who had spoken for only the second time since he and Iori had arrived at her home. Looking him now there was still that solemn determination in his blue eyes, and she found it to be somewhat intimidating, yet captivating at the same time. She racked her mind trying to come up with a response, but couldn't come up with anything.

Takeru seemingly taking Miyako's lapse into silence as cue continued on with his explanation, "To be honest I don't exactly know. I have no idea what's been happening with Koushiro or Taichi or really any of the others in the last five years, but obviously something drastic has changed for Gennai to come to me. All I know is that he said the others had to earn their crests back, but he didn't tell me why or how."

"Wait you said the _others _have to earn their crests back, but what about _you._" Miyako quickly replied picking up on Takeru's peculiar choice of words. "You didn't say _we_ have to earn _our _crests back, so does that mean…"

As Miyako trailed off Takeru's face broke into a radiant smile, the one that seemed in Miyako's opinion to always just look right on Takeru's face. He suddenly reached inside his shirt and took out what Miyako could only assume was his crest. She had never actually seen it before, but it bore the same symbol that was on Pegasusmon's chest.

"He said that I earned the right to get this back because I never gave up hope. I guess he was right because I never stopped carrying my D3 with me because I felt like we were always going to get the chance to go back. I knew that I needed to hold onto hope even when the rest of you lost it. It was all I could do to try and maybe one day reunite our group. For me our bond as Chosen is more important than anything in my life. Nobody will ever understand us like we understand each other, and that's why I was so upset that everyone turned their backs on it so easily."

"Now do you understand Miyako?" Iori started with a passionate look in his eyes. "I know that you've had issues with all of us, especially me, but please find a way to forgive us for our mistakes. We need you Miyako. Whatever the Digital World has in store for us is something that is going to require all twelve of us working together again. I know that I am a changed person from five years ago, so maybe if you'll give me a chance to prove that to you. If not for me will you at least do it for Hawkmon, I know for a fact that he wouldn't want us all to be at odds. Please can you find it in your heart to show me some compassion and forgive me for what I've done."

"This...it's all so much. What the hell? When did everything get so heavy again? Why can't we just go back to being normal people?" Miyako moaned while sliding down the door frame so that she was sitting down.

Takeru squatted down so that he was eye level with Miyako and looking into her eyes he said, "Miyako, you know you don't mean that. How different would your life be if you never met Hawkmon and were just a normal person? Do you really think you'd be any happier? I know in my case that the Digital World and Patamon are the two best things that have happened to me in my life. I would never trade any of it. I know deep down you feel the same way You're stronger than this Miyako. Don't let your fear control you."

Miyako buried her face in her hands as she thought about Takeru and Iori's words. '_How could I have given up on everyone? I was always the one preaching that we had to work as a team when Takeru and Davis were fighting, how could I stop believing that? How could I willingly turn my back on the others? I know that Takeru and Iori are willing to accept me, but what about Daisuke, Ken, and Hikari? I said some terrible things to them and I really couldn't blame them if they never want to speak to me again. No. Takeru's right I have to be strong. Hawkmon and the whole Digital World are counting on me.'_

After what seemed like an eternity Miyako finally dropped her hands from her face to find Takeru and Iori looking at her expectantly with a measure of empathy in their expressions. "Ok. If you'll take me back I'd like to be a part of the team again. I've honestly missed you all so much these last five years. It's been almost suffocating to be without you guys these last five years. Like there's been a hole in my heart. But that's in the past I want to move on and take down whatever creep is threatening the Digital World!"

"Now that's the Miyako I remember, welcome back!" Takeru laughed.

"So where do we go now? Who's next?" Iori asked bring up the task at hand again.

"Wait, what do you mean 'who's next'? Do you mean that everyone isn't back together already?" Miyako asked with a surprised expression.

Takeru let out something between a cough and laugh at this question before catching his breath and responding, "Well no. So far it's only you two, but we really need to hurry to get the other back in the fold before things get even worse in the Digital World and we could use your help convincing some of them to come back."

"Wait wait wait. Why only me and Iori so far? Why haven't you gone to Yamato or Hikari? I mean he's your brother and she's your best friend. They would pretty much do anything for you, so why haven't you gone to them yet." Miayko asked with genuine curiosity.

"Actually I was wondering that too Takeru, logically it would make the most sense for you to go to the two of them, but you came to us. Have you even tried to talk to them?" Iori added while furrowing his brow in confusion.

Takeru closed his eyes and let out an agitated sigh. Shaking his head he said, "I'm not going to talk about this. Let's just get going. I think we should go to Daisuke next." His tone left no room for argument, as he seemed steadfast in his refusal to touch upon the topic.

Miyako and Iori shared a look that seemed to convey that they would bring this up again later, before signaling their consent with a nod.

The trio then set off for Daisuke's home to see if they could cajole their former leader into joining up with them once again. Miyako despite being happy that they would be reuniting the Chosen, couldn't help but feel suspicious over Takeru's obvious avoidance of Yamato and Hikari, but decided not to push Takeru on it at this moment and instead wait for the right time to bring it up again.

* * *

Once again I hope this was alright and any reviews will be very much appreciated.

Also, quick shoutout to the anonymous guest reviewer on the last chapter, I appreciate the advice.


	4. Loyalty of a Leader

A/N: So yeah this chapter took forever for multiple reasons mostly concerning laziness, but also I was fairly disgusted with the last chapter so that turned me off writing for a while. I tried to do some new things with this chapter, so hopefully they turned out alright. Please review/flame/comment because I really do appreciate that stuff.

* * *

_Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away_

_Now it looks as though they're here to stay_

_Oh, I believe in yesterday_

_Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be_

_There's a shadow hanging over me._

_Oh, yesterday came suddenly_

"_Yesteday" The Beatles_

Dusk began to overtake the Odaiba sky as Takeru, Miyako, and Iori walked along towards Daisuke's apartment building in contemplative silence. The three Chosen Children, while glad to be back together after their long term separation, couldn't help but feel anxious about their upcoming meeting with Daisuke.

Takeru felt especially anxious as he and Daisuke had never been on the best terms even before the group's dissolution. While he and Daisuke had gotten over their outright feuding fairly early on in their adventure together, things were still tense between the two of them. They just had clashing philosophies, much like Taichi and Yamato. However, unlike Yamato, Takeru had never managed to forge a strong bond with his goggle wearing leader before the group's break up.

A loud ring broke Takeru out of his musings and as he turned to find the source of the noise he saw a seemingly flustered Iori reaching in his shorts pocket for his cell phone. As he listened to Iori converse quietly with whoever happened to be on the other side of the line Takeru, notices Miyako's gazing intently in his direction as if trying to figure something out.

He figured that it probably had to with his evasiveness when it came to the topic of a certain pair of Chosen Children, but he chose to ignore Miyako's silent inquiries, instead hoping that she would just drop the subject.

Turning his attention back to Iori he noticed that the younger Chosen was seemingly just about finished with his phone call. As Iori hung up the phone Takeru fixed him with an inquisitive glance, hoping to find out what the call was about.

Iori seemed to pick up on this cue and said, "I'm sorry about that. My mother just called and reminded me that I'm supposed to have a kendo lesson with my grandfather in a half hour. So I have to go. I'm really sorry that I won't be able to help you with Daisuke and the others. Please keep me updated on what happens and if there's any way I can help."

Takeru's face fell a bit upon receiving the news, as he was disappointed that his time with Iori was coming to an end so soon. He had really missed his DNA-Digivolution partner these last five years. He had always felt an innate sense of calm when around him because he knew that Iori understood him as well as almost anyone else. Especially when it came to knowing there just certain things he didn't want to talk about.

Adding to his disappointment was the fact that he had no such rapport with Miyako. While she along with Iori had been the first of the second generation Chosen he had met, he had really never developed any sort of strong relationship with her. They had a mutual respect for each other, but there was just really no sort of relationship between the two of them, it was somewhat odd given all that they had been through together.

"Well I guess we'll see you later. I'll make sure to let you know how everything goes." Miyako said breaking Takeru's inner ramblings.

"Y-yeah we'll catch up with you later." Takeru spit out quickly hoping to cover for the fact that his mind had been in another place for an uncertain amount of time.

He noticed Miyako give him a curious look at him after his stumbled words, but she said nothing and merely started walking towards Daisuke's again. He was thankful that she hadn't called him out on his spaciness, as he was sure she had noticed. He guessed there might be some advantages in having very little semblance of a relationship with Miyako, as it meant that the outspoken girl was less likely to call him out when he was acting less than normal.

He knew that her concern about his situation with his brother and best friend, if he could truly call someone he had not had any sort of meaningful contact with his best friend, was coming from a good place, but this was his burden to bear and he did not want anyone to deal with it. In the meantime he at least had a task that he devote his attention to, thereby avoiding the despair that seemed to well up in his heart anytime Hikari and Yamato were brought up.

Deciding to truly make an earnest effort to put those negative thoughts out of his mind he turned to look at his current companion who similarly seemed to have a lot on her mind at the moment. He assumed that she was probably reflecting on how different things could have been had cooler heads prevailed on that fateful day 5 years ago. He could definitely empathize with that train of thought given that he had spent almost every waking moment of the past 5 years reliving that day and trying to find some key that would bring everything back together.

He let out a hollow laugh thinking back on how desperate he had been to get everyone back together for the last 5 years and how today of all days, seemingly out of the blue Gennai had handed him what ostensibly represented the key to bringing the Chosen back together. If he hadn't learned a long time ago to never doubt the mysterious ways of the Digital World he would've been skeptical and thought that this was all too good to be true.

"What's so funny? Do I have something on my face or something? Because if I do and you've just been staring that's really rude. I'd expect more from you Takeru, but I guess all you boys are the same. Incredibly dumb."

The sudden outburst from Miyako who had been quiet for most of their trip to this point startled Takeru to the extent that he actually stumbled due to the pure surprise of the awkward silence being broken.

"No! No no no. Really I wasn't laughing at you. I promise. I was just thinking about some stuff." Takeru rubbed the back of his head sheepishly as he replied really hoping against hope that he could avoid his lavender haired friend's wrath. He had seen what happened when Daisuke managed to irritate her and did not want to repeat the gogglehead's mistakes.

Miayko's annoyed expression softened into one of curiosity upon hearing what Takeru had to say. "Yeah, I've been doing that a lot too lately." Miayko replied and let out what sounded like an exapserated sigh before continuing, "So what's on your mind? You know it's not good to keep things bottled up. You should know that as well as anybody being Hikari's best friend, the amount she kept bottled up was enough to drive anyone insane. So spill. What's on your mind?"

Takeru frowned at the mention of Hikari, but brushed it off trying to make sense of his thoughts so as to give Miyako some insight into what he was thinking. She was hardly his first choice for a soundingboard, but he didn't exactly have anyone else he could talk to. Plus, it couldn't hurt to make some actual inroads with her before they went back to the digital world again to confront whatever new evil was awaiting them, given that after all this time he still had a very .

Taking a deep breath and looking at Miyako, he summoned up his courage and began, "Well the reason I was laughing is that it's kind of ironic that it took some great evil threatening the digital world to bring us back together. I guess it's appropriate given that's what brought us together in the first place, but still you would've thought we were stronger than that. That we would've been able to forgive each other without needing the fate of two worlds hanging in the balance." Seeing Miyako's clouded over expression Takeru quickly finished, "Sorry I'm not making sense. Forget I said anything."

Shaking her head Miyako responded, "No everything you said is true. It's just...depressing. God I can't believe how out of hand we let this get. It's like at the end of the day despite all our issues with each other we still love each other and we have that connection as Chosen that no one else could really get, but somehow we forgot that or ignored it. And for what? So I could just stay angry at everyone for whatever stupid reason I had back then. Ugh these last 5 years were for NOTHING. Spending every frickin day desperately trying tos tay angry just so I wouldn't miss you guys so damn much."

Watching Miyako angrily rant, not caring if anyone was listening, was surprisingly comforting for Takeru. He fondly remembered all the times that she would dive into one of these rants back during their adventures, usually complaining about the latest way Daisuke had managed to annoy her. He took this a sure sign that things were returning to normal and couldn't help, but beam at that hopeful thought as they approached Daisuke's building to bring their leader back into the fold.

* * *

Daisuke Motomiya dribbled a soccer ball aimlessly under the lights of an empty soccer field next to Odaiba High School. This had become somewhat of a nightly ritual, weather permitting of course, over the last 5 years. He had always found solace in soccer when the world got too real for him and he needed to escape. The last 5 years since the split of the Chosen had been entirely too real for him and he focused all his energy and thoughts on tiring himself out on the field so he wouldn't have to think back to those fond memories that now hurt so much.

In his opinion his greatest strength, and according to others greatest fault, had always been his ability to not overthink things. It wasn't that he didn't think at all, despite being accused of that on many occasions, but rather he just simply decided to shrug off what he couldn't control and instead focus his efforts on what he could control. That's partially why he had been so devastated by the events of 5 years ago today.

When Taichi had passed his trademark goggles onto Daisuke, thus anointing him the new leader of the Chosen he knew from that moment on that he had a sacred duty to keep the Chosen together at all costs and to be a good leader for the team as they confronted the evils that threatened the Digital World and the Real World. While he admittedly had experienced some growing pains in his role early on, he had felt by the time they had defeated MaloMyotismon that he truly had come to fulfill the promise that Taichi had seen in him during his first trip to the digital world.

However, that had all changed for him 5 years ago on that fateful anniversary. He stood lamely as a mere bystander as he watched the Chosen break apart when he it was his duty as leader to step in and stop the arguments before they took everyone to the point of no return where things were said that could never be taken back. Still to this day he had never forgiven himself for that, and thus had stopped wearing the goggles that symbolized everything he aspired to be, yet had never truly fulfilled.

To escape these dark depressing thoughts Daisuke threw himself completely into soccer. It wasn't necessarily a huge change from before the Chosen had fallen apart, because he had been obsessed with soccer back then too, so no one had really noticed. However, for him the game took on a whole new meaning and purpose. Previously Daisuke had played soccer because it was truly his passion and he genuinely enjoyed every minute of it. Now, it was something he took part in not of out of enjoyment, but rather out of necessity to escape his own mind.

Strangely enough Daisuke had found success in his unorthodox, and what some might call unhealthy, approach to his problem. He lived his life in what could be called very mundane fashion going through the ups and downs of school and soccer, all the while pushing those feelings of despair and depression related to losing the 11 best friends he'd ever had into a deep dark hole in his mind, never to be thought about again.

The largest and most constant struggle for him was the fact that he would still se Takeru and Hikari every single day in the hallways of school or randomly run into one of the other Chosen in Odaiba. Somewhere deep inside him a part of him screamed out to reach out to his former friends whenever he saw them, but he would always suppress and ignore that voice for as far as he was concerned no one cared to associate with a failed leader. A leader who had watched as his team tore itself apart from the inside. He understood that he was alone now and he accepted the sad reality by ignoring it altogether.

Breathing heavily now after an intense hour of drills, Daisuke flopped on the ground and to catch his breath before going through his stretching routine and heading home. Looking up at the stars on the clear August night he couldn't help but think of his best friend and partner wondering if he still remembered him or if he was even alive. Daisuke knew that he could never forget Veemon, no matter how painful it might be to hold on to the memory of the little blue dragon now that they were seemingly permanently separated.

The abrupt separation from Veemon after the battle with MaloMyotismon had been such a shock to Daisuke's system that he wasn't sure how to cope with it. From what he recalled from seeing Hikari and Takeru's struggles was that this was much different than the first time they had been separated from their digimon. At least then they had gotten a chance to say goodbye, instead of being unceremoniously dumped back into the real world with no idea what had just happened or where their partner was.

Losing Veemon had been like losing a part of his soul, but he had known that he could soldier on and live his life without him as long as he had the rest of the Chosen to support him and for him to support. When he lost that support network he knew that he needed to urgently find something or someone to occupy his full attention and thus he turned to the game he had always loved that now had been corrupted by his desperation into a tool to prevent his mind from going to the places he did not want it to go.

Daisuke truly found it amazing how quickly, over the course of 8 months to be exact, that his charmed life that he had used as a springboard to hold off MaloMyotismon in the dream world could fall apart and devolve into this fake life that he lived now. Merely existing for the sake of existing, having no greater goal or purpose to work towards. He found one word perfectly encapsulated his state of being over the last 5 years, a word that he would never have associated with himself before, but now was to him synonymous with the name Daisuke Motomiya: hopeless.

Just as that thought passed through his mind he became acutely aware of approaching footsteps and a seemingly friendly conversation occurring between the new arrivals to the field. Assuming it was someone coming to use the field he shouted out with his eyes still closed, "Hey I just gotta stretch and then I'll split. You can use the other end of the field for now and I promise I won't be long. Just don't wanna get tight you know how it is."

As he finished shouting out to the new arrivals he noticed that their conversation had stopped abruptly and the footsteps had stopped too. A tense silence hung in the air prompting Daisuke to sit up and look at what caused the new arrivals to lapse into silence so suddenly. What he saw shocked him so thoroughly that for one of the rare times in his life he was rendered speechless.

"Hey Daisuke, it's been a while huh?" Miyako started in carefully seemingly trying to get a feel for Daisuke's state of mind and how he would react to her, given that they hadn't exactly parted on the best terms.

After a moment he found his voice again and replied, "Uh yeah it has been." Knowing that this surely wasn't just a social visit given that they hadn't spoken for the last 5 years he asked, "But what are you guys doing here? I'm not really sure I get why you're here at all."

Taking this as his cue, Takeru took a seat next to Daisuke flashing him a big grin asked him, "So do you miss Veemon?"

Daisuke found himself quickly getting annoyed with the blonde sitting next to him who was seemingly being coy for reasons that escaped him. Furthermore, Takeru knew that Veemon as an extremely sensitive topic for Daisuke and knew full well that he missed him, which made his line of questioning insulting to Daisuke.

As Daisuke opened his mouth to tell Takeru off for asking that obnoxious and insensitive question the blonde raised a finger to stop Daisuke from talking and said, "What if I told you that you could- no have to see him again? That the fate of two worlds requires you to see Veemon again. What would you say?"

At this latest line of questioning Daisuke became even more confused and angry with Takeru, whose grin was growing wider by the minute, while Miyako stood off to the side rolling her eyes muttering something about "stupid boys."

"Of course I miss Veemon! You know damn well I do! Where do you get off asking questions like that? What the hell do you mean 'I have to see him again'? You don't tell me what to do blondie!" The words came out so quickly and hotly Daisuke wasn't even sure of what he had said or if it made any sense, but he was determined to let Takeru know he wasn't going to let him stay up on his high horse.

Suddenly Takeru's expression morphed from the joyful teasing grin, that had been seemingly plastered to his face, to a very solemn and serious one and as he spoke up his tone indicated that he was now saying was truly important, "Gennai, or a projection of him- I'm not really sure how it works, came to me a few hours ago. The Digital World is in danger again from some sort of dark force, I don't know exactly what because he didn't have the time to explain, but he stressed that if we didn't get back there soon to fight whatever the new threat is both worlds could be in danger."

Daisuke sat there staring into Takeru's deep blue eyes trying to process the information and see if he was being serious. It was strange though, Daisuke felt like he really didn't need to look in Takeru's eyes for confirmation. He just believed him and the look in those blue eyes only confirmed it further that he was telling the truth. He saw a solemn determination in his eyes, similar to what he had seen when Angemon digivolved to MagnaAngemon to fight BlackWarGreymon, just pure desire to save two worlds at any cost. It really was admirable, though Daisuke would never admit it aloud.

Takeru seemed to pick up on the fact that Daisuke had accepted what he'd said without an argument, but he decided to continue anyway just to make sure he drove his point home and got Daisuke full up to speed. "Gennai also somehow knew about our situation...I don't know how but he said it was of the 'utmost importance' that we come together again to fight this new threat and that our partners would be waiting for us once we travelled to the digital world. So that's why we're here. We need you to be part of the team again. Are you in?"

Daisuke's immediate response was an indignant snort, to which Miyako, who up to this point had been content to be a bystander, replied, "How bout you answer us with some words doofus?"

"Who are you calling 'doofus' dork?!" Daisuke responded hotly, but with a grin on his face as he felt a sense of deja vu wash over him, fondly remembering all the times he bickered with Miyako during their time in the Digital World.

Shaking his head while smiling Takeru stepped between the two combatants before their mini-spat could escalate any further. Extending a hand to Daisuke and smiling he asked, "So Daisuke you ready to kick some evil digimon butt?"

Daisuke fiercely grabbed Takeru's hand squeezing it as hard as he could while beaming replied, "Whatever evil is plaguing the Digital World better start running because Daisuke Motomiya is back in action and ready to kick some digi-butt!"

"I guess I'll take that as a 'yes.' It's good to have you back Daisuke, life has been a lot more quiet without you." Takeru said through a huge grin before. "And not in a good way." He finished with a laugh that both Miyako and Daisuke soon joined in with, all three of them feeling better than they had at any point in the last 5 years. Things finally seemed to be looking up now that the team was coming back together.

Daisuke's smile stayed firmly rooted on his face even as the trio's laughter died down. He felt a strange yet oddly familiar emotion filling him at this point and couldn't quite place a finger on it until he noticed the yellow glow coming from underneath Takeru's shirt and suddenly things clicked into place. He now knew that word that had come to define him in his mind over the last 5 years had suddenly been rendered completely obsolete.

He was no longer hopeless anymore because hope had reentered his life and he intended to keep it that way for the foreseeable future. He would not- no he could not fail again. Takeru, and by extension Gennai, had offered him a second chance. A chance to remedy the mistakes of his past when he given into weakness and stood by while the Chosen fell apart. He would not disappoint Takeru's faith in him the way he had Taichi's. That was not going to happen.

Daisuke was suddenly broken out of his thoughts when he noticed Takeru and Miyako staring at him expectantly. "What?" He blurted out defensively with confusion laced in his tone.

Miyako let out an aggravated sigh before answering, "We were just asking if you knew what the fastest way to get to Tamachi was, since y'know you were always visiting Ken there."

Daisuke's mouth formed a perfect "O" shape and he flushed a bit embarrassed at being caught spacing out before regaining his composure and taking off in the direction of the train yelling back to his two compatriots, "Follow me!"

* * *

Deep in the darkest corner of the digital world a figure shrouded in shadows observed a monitor showing the events occurring on Earth with mild interest all the while tapping their fingers on their throne absentmindedly.

Speaking softly to themselves they said, "Please do hurry up and get here soon Chosen. I really am quite proud of what I have prepared for you. It would be quite rude to keep your new ruler waiting for too long. Gennai and the Sovereign really are fools to think that this dysfunctional group of children can stop my plans."

Laughing the figure shut off the screen and walked out of the room to continue their preparations for the return of the Chosen.

* * *

A/N: If you read this I hope you liked it and will leave a review or even a flame, those can be fun too. Hopefully I can spend less than 2 months getting the next chapter out, that is if anyone is still interested.


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